Sun Dec 17 13:52:42 EST 2000

It has been raining since morning. Just like back home. Or back in IIT. It's all
the same. The same sound, the same rain...

Yesterday I walked back from the department pretty late at night- you know,
almost early in the morning! If you can spare some time join me in a wonderful
walk to the GC.

It won't be long- I know you have other things to do. But it is just a
15 minute walk, or 20 minutes probably. It is not raining now. So I guess
we can walk fast, and it shouldn't take any longer.

It is quite warm. Cool I should say. But warm is all right, because it was
quite cold a few days back. And even when I came to the department in the
evening I was expecting it to be much colder. And that is why I have this
jacket on. And the best (only?) way to carry it is to wear it.

The wind is cool and wet. And the drops dripping off the leaves- well the trees,
with so little of leaves left now. And not a single soul around. It is amazing,
to be alone, to walk alone in the darkness, with the street lamps shining on
puddles of water on the pavement..

The sky here is so fascinating. Even now, at night, I can see the shades. Well,
now it is mostly dull colours. In fall if you were here I could have shown
you the brilliant colours, especially in the evenings. But it is imposing even
now.

Do you see the fountain there? Now they have turned it off. It would freeze
otherwise (oh no, not tonight, not when it is so warm). And you see the open
sky? High up and so vast? That is why I like this fountain so much- I mean not
the fountain as such, but the openness around it.

Ah, you will have to wait for a minute so that I can tie my shoes. It is not
the first time this has happened with this shoes. But I am not blaming the
shoes...

So what were you saying..? Oh, I forget, you couldn't have been saying anything!
I know, it's so mean of me to do all the talking... 

Do you think we have time to drop in at the Wawa store and buy a bottle of milk?
I might just have enough for the breakfast, you see. But no, it's too late. I
had better go and get some sleep right away. 

Be careful while crossing the road. See, there goes a car- at this hour! But
this is the best hour, you should agree. Haven't been up so late (or been up
so early) for a long time. And this brisk walk is worth it- worth the discomfort
of walking fast with heavy shoes on, with the heavy jacket on (and now I'm
feeling more than warm, almost sweating) and of having to walk fast, tempted as
I feel to stand here- stand still right here till the dawn breaks. But my dear
friend, we should get on.

There in front of us rises the GC tower. Like a castle, mysterious, almost
haunted. (Some day I'll make a story about the GC and tell you- it has got
everything any story teller could ever ask for (I'm no story teller, still)).
Just like the sky, the tower is fascinating. I haven't been up there yet
(I don't know why!). But it is from far away that I love it- like now when
we walk down the sidewalk.. It rises right in front of us, against an even
more mysterious looking sky. There's much more I want to tell you about
the tower (I mean what I felt about it), but I should save it for another
time. For, we have reached the end of our little trip. I'll go to my dear
little room and have a good night's sleep (for whatever bit of night that is
left). I'll leave the windows open, for it is warm, and so that I can listen
to the rain (it has started raining again). Thank you for the company.
Good night!